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Airplane

Welcome to part two of my Travel Etiquette Mini Series. In my job I travel quite a bit and all my trips start and end the same way… at the airport. In part one I discussed my tips and tricks for airport etiquette, but what about actually being on the plane? Here are my thoughts on how we can all be courteous while we travel:

Open seating. It is totally up to you!

If you are traveling with other people who have a boarding number after your own, true travel etiquette is to give up your earlier boarding position and join your travel partner at his/her boarding position. However, if you do board ahead and want to try to save a seat, simply place a coat, purse, or small bag in the seat you hope to save:

If someone asks for the seat, kindly say, “I was hoping to save this for my friend/spouse/parent, do you mind looking for another seat?” Normally, people will be understanding especially if there are still plenty of seats left, but do keep in mind it is not your right to save that seat.

If the airplane is filling up and the flight attendant has started making announcements to “take any open seat you see,” it is time to give up your seat saving mission. You do not want to be the person who delayed your flight because you forced others to play musical chairs until your travel partner got on the plane.

If you see someone traveling with an individual who needs assistance (i.e. a parent and younger child or someone with a disability), but they cannot find a seat together and you have an open seat next to you… Do the right thing and offer your seat to them.

Stowing Your Carry-On Items

Place your bag above your own seat. Do not take up the storage space above another row unless your space is full and the flight attendant directs this.

If you need to move someone’s bag a little in order to fit your’s in the overhead bin, ask the person, “Do you mind if I scoot your bag over a bit?” Most people will not have a problem, it is simply polite to ask in case they have something fragile in their bag or are traveling with hanging garments (gowns, suits, etc.).

If the flight attendant says your bag will not fit, chances are it really will not. Allow the flight attendant to place your bag in another overhead bin. It is not worth holding up the line of people behind you and potentially delaying your flight because you tried to play Tetris with the bags in the overhead bin.

Always offer assistance to someone you see struggling to get their bag in the overhead bin.

Be a Good “Seat Mate”

You cannot go wrong by starting off your trip with a simple smile and saying “hello” to the person you will be seated next to for several hours.

If you have a middle or window seat and need to get up to stretch your legs or use the restroom, be sure to politely ask the individuals closer to the aisle if they will please move for you.

When standing up, do not grab the seat in front of you. This often pulls that individual’s seat backwards and can be quite disruptive.

Who gets the arm rest? True travel etiquette indicates the person in the middle seat gets both arm rests while the people in the outside seats get those arm rests. In a row with only two seats? Share the middle armrest.

We all like to travel in comfort, but do not get too comfortable!

Keep your shoes on. You may think you do not have feet that smell, but it is very possible that you do. Also, some people just do not like feet.

If you want to take a nap, be cognizant of your surroundings. Try your very best not to lean on the person next to you. Travel Tip: Use a neck pillow, it helps to prevent the lean!

Do not bring foods on the plane that have heavy odors. For example, a tuna packet probably is not the best thing to crack open mid flight.

Keep the volume on your headphones low. Your seat mate very likely does not want to hear what you are listening to especially if he/she is trying to nap, read, or do work.

Avoid getting drunk and making your seat mate feel uncomfortable.

Check before you recline! Ensure the person behind you is not getting something from under your seat or using the tray table. If they are, simply say, “Excuse me, I’m going to recline my chair, I just want to let you know.” This will avoid you bumping him/her, accidentally spilling a drink, or even potentially breaking an open laptop.

Be Courteous to the Flight Attendants

Pay attention to the flight attendants when they give the safety instructions. Yes, they are often the same on every flight, but they really are important to know.

Listen when they tell you it is time to turn off electronics or stop using certain ones. Side note: Always be sure your devices are in airplane mode!

When the flight attendant brings you a snack or asks for your drink order, always say “please” and “thank you.”

De-Planing

We all know the mad rush to get out of your seats as soon as the “Fasten Seat-belt” light turns off, but remember you are in a small area, there really is not a lot of space for you to move. Let the people ahead of you have the room they need to get out of their seats and retrieve their bags from the overhead bin.

If you have a short connection time to your next flight, ask the flight attendant during the flight if it would be possible for you to get off the plane before others. Due to a delay on one of flights, there was a passenger who had a very short amount of time to get to his connection. When we landed and were taxiing to the gate, the flight attendant said, “We have a passenger on board who needs to exit quickly to make a short connection. Please allow this person through the aisle before we begin regular de-planing.” If asked this on one of your flights, be kind and follow the request to help the other person.

If there is someone who needs special assistance exiting the plane, allow them to go first.

Over the last year, I have found myself spending a lot of time in airports and on planes. These opportunities for travel have not only been fun, but also taught me an awful lot about travel etiquette. With all I have learned, I decided to write a “travel mini-series” to share my experience!

Be prepared for the security line. We know it is coming… The moment you have to go through the metal detector/body scanner, so why not be ready for it? Often times, the security lines can be long leaving us to stand there with nothing to do. Rather than using our phones to distract us and strolling along until we reach the scanner, let’s use this time to start preparing for the security check.

Throw away your beverage/empty your water bottle.

Remove your coat, sweater, scarf, etc. and hold it while you walk.

Take off your heavy jewelry, watch, and belt.

Personally, I leave a small jewelry bag in my purse or carry-on when I travel so when I get to security I can put all my things in that little bag and secure it in my own carry-on instead of using the small tray security provides. Also, this allows me to go straight from security to my gate without having to stop to put everything back on, I can do it at my gate instead. Travel Tip: A small Ziploc bag works just as well!

Have your ID and boarding pass out to hand it to the TSA Agent right away.

If you are traveling with a laptop/tablet, put it in an easily accessible place so you can take it out quickly for the security scan.

When you get to the scanner, do not rush the people in front of you. Be patient and wait to place your things on the scanner belt.

Once you have cleared the scanner, pick up your things and step aside. In most airports, they have benches very close to security so you can put all your belongings away and accessories back on you.

The Walk (sometimes run) to your gate… When walking in the terminal, follow the same rules as the road. Stay to the far right if you are casually walking to your gate so you can leave the inside “lanes” open for those in a rush to get to their gate or moving at a faster pace.

Do Not Hog the Plug! You know which one I mean… The incredibly coveted electrical plug to charge your phone, iPad/tablet, laptop, etc.

First and foremost, be sure to charge your electronics before leaving home. This will prevent you from having to search the terminal for an electrical outlet or charging station.

If you need to charge your phone/electronics before your flight, use any free plug you can find or wait patiently for one to become available. If you have to wait, stand near the charging station and wait your turn. Do not stare down all the people currently using the charging station hoping someone will give up.

When using the plug/charging station, make your best effort to not use the electronic device you are charging unless it is an emergency or absolutely necessary. If other people are waiting, using your device while it charges only makes the process take longer. Be considerate of the others in line.

Use one plug and one plug only! If there are people waiting, do not plug-in your personal phone, work phone, iPad/tablet, and laptop all at the same time. NOTE: If you have a plug that turns into an extension and has 4 plug-ins then this is OK.

Travel Tip: If you have a plug that works as an extender and you are not using all of the extra outlets, offer it to other people! Kudos to these people for being friendly travelers and genuinely kind!

If people are waiting, you do not need to charge your phone to 100%. Get your battery to a decent level then let the next person use the plug.

Waiting In Line to Board Your Flight

Whether you are on a flight with an already designated seat or getting in line based on boarding groups to pick your own seat, we all have to wait in line to get on the plane. When you get in line, be sure not to crowd the people ahead of you, try to squeeze your way to the front, or complain if you end up towards the end of the line.

When traveling in a group you would like to sit with but you do not have boarding numbers close to one another, true travel etiquette dictates you get in line with the individual who has the later boarding number.

What travel etiquette do’s and don’ts have you witnessed? Are there travel situations you do not know how to navigate? Let me know!

With these new tips, I hope you will be an even more polite and considerate traveler!